Winter Roasted Tomato Soup with Herbed Ricotta
It doesn't get easier than this soup! The extra step of roasting the canned tomatoes brings an unparalleled complexity to this otherwise simple dish!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cans whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) 796ml or 28 oz
- 4 medium garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil (plus an extra few tbsp for cooking onions) (plus more for drizzling)
- 2 tsp salt (plus more for seasoning)
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper (plus more for seasoning)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 small tin tomato paste (about 2/3 cup)
- 4 cups broth of your choice (about 32 ounces)
- 3 dashes hot sauce, optional
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.
- Remove the whole tomatoes from the cans (keeping the juice aside) and lay them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, scatter the garlic bits over the tomatoes and drizzle with 1/4 c of the oil; roast until soft and caramelized/brown on the bottom, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir around until the paste has deepened in color, about 2 more minutes.
- When the tomatoes are ready, transfer them, along with all the garlic and oil to the pot; add the reserved tomato juice in the cans and the broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
- Purée the soup in batches in a stand blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper as needed and heat for another 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parsley, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Ladle soup into bowls and spoon a dollop of the ricotta onto each bowl and swirl with extra olive oil if desired.
- Serve warm (remainder can be refrigerated or frozen).